~Tessa~ The King’s arrogance unearthed childhood memories Tessa had long forgotten. “I really think you should stay home with your mom this time. Remember how bored you were at the last meeting,” her father contested Tessa’s pleas, but she was stubborn and soon found herself passing through the polished gates. “I’ll never admit Dad was right,” Tessa complained, mindlessly following the deep burgundy carpet that lined the marble halls. The air was stale with age and the decor seemed to be plucked from the movies where sweaty men wore powdered wigs and sipped wine all day. The portraits of deceased royals covering the walls matched the men flooding her imagination. The staff were dreadfully pretentious as well. They typically ignored Tessa’s presence, but that all changed when she caught a boy eavesdropping at the door of the Great Hall. “Hey, you better not be spying on them,” Tessa exclaimed, tackling him to the ground. Her outburst caught everyone’s attention and she quickly fo
~Tessa~The sun's rays forced their way through the darkness of night, awakening birds from their slumber. Their ethereal songs danced with the wind, starting a day where anything was possible. But nature was oblivious to the tragedy of the past and the lively birds never seemed to notice the young she-wolf crying alone in her room. “An Alpha must be strong,” Tessa repeated under her breath, hoping the mantra would erase all of her sadness and self-doubt. “It’s almost been a year. Your family might be gone, but your pack needs you,” she reasoned, wiping the tears away. The reflection of her swollen, red eyes made her sick, but a familiar voice pulled her from her trance. “Tessa Hayes, you’re late for training. John is already outside and it’s rude to keep him waiting on you,” her grandmother shouted, sounding very impatient. “I’m coming,” Tessa called out, masking her emotions before racing out of her room and down the stairs. “I’d be lost without you, Gran,” she smiled, giving her
~Tessa~ A bright flash of lightning and the pitter-patter of rain against her window woke Tessa from her restless sleep. She rolled to her side and checked the time on her phone. “Looks like I win again,” she muttered, waking long before her alarm once again, but the date caught her eye. “I can’t believe it’s been seven years. Now I know why my dreams were haunted by memories,” she sighed, missing her family, but she wouldn’t dwell on it. Nothing would have been accomplished if she kept herself trapped by despair, and ignoring her emotions has worked in her favor so far. Instead, Tessa threw the covers off her body and sat on the edge of her bed with her arms stretched above her head and her toes buried in the thick plush carpet. When her fingers failed to untangle the knots in her hair, she sighed in frustration and met her gaze in the mirror. "An Alpha must be strong," she whispered and stood, walking into her bathroom. Her wolf gave a reassuring growl, feeling Tessa's anguis
~Tessa~ *Mature Content* Tessa sighed as she sifted through the reports. She found it odd that there was no history from his childhood, but based on the sheets in her hands, nothing in Alpha Monroe's file that warranted their suspicion. He seemed to be a respected Alpha who ran a reputable business and didn’t even have a speeding ticket on his record. The next folder on her desk, labeled photos, piqued Tessa’s interest. "Let's take a look at this "perfect” Alpha. He's probably some sissy raised with a silver spoon in his mouth," her wolf teased. Tessa chuckled and leaned back in her chair while unraveling the string around the folder. “What would this perfect man look like,” she smirked, but there was a knock at the door before she pulled out the first photo. "Come in," she announced to her visitor, placing the folder on top of her desk as the door opened. "Oh, what brings you here Elijah," she asked, stretching her arms above her head. "I brought you something to eat since you
~Dainin~ "This is going to take some getting used to," Dainin thought, enjoying the tranquil ride through the thick, luscious green forest. After the chaotic week his pack endured, Dainin felt hopeful their situation would only improve, but then Alan told him how they were being treated at the border of Blue Ridge. Dread began digging a pit in his stomach, souring his mood with each passing mile. “If they’re expecting us to kiss ass just to win this guy over, it’s not happening,” he growled, wishing they could have stayed in Arizona where there was no one to answer to. "Enough! That’s what got us here in the first place," snapped his wolf. "This needs to work out for the pack's sake," he justified. After much hesitation, Dainin reluctantly nodded his head in agreement. "At least there’s plenty of space between our future pack land and theirs. Hopefully, we'll never have to deal with them once this is over," he hoped, but immediately felt a foreboding chill snake down his spine. “
~Dainin~“Look at this place,” Alan admired as they drove through the small town within Blue Ridge. Their pack land was beautiful and well-kept with a packhouse, resembling a five-star hotel, plenty of private housing, and even their own working farm. The landscape was vibrant and Dainin wondered how his pack would adjust to moving from the desert to a lush forest. “They’ll love it. We’ll all be able to run and live freely here,” his wolf assured him, and he was right. The chance of being discovered by humans was slim this far in the forest and Blue Ridge proved there was potential to live comfortably. Dainin and his warriors turned up a long-hidden driveway behind the large black wolf who was escorting them. At the end was a three-story French colonial surrounded by beautifully maintained property and a breathtaking garden in the center of the rounded driveway. While they exited their vehicles the wolf shifted back into a man and waited for them at the door. “Dainin, this is the Ga
~Dainin~ Dainin paced the conference room, growing impatient the longer he waited for the Alpha to arrive. His mate's scent overwhelmed his senses from the moment he stepped into the packhouse and he needed to see her. "Are you in a rush to be ignored again? Don't forget why we're here," his wolf growled. "Well, the sooner we get this settled, the sooner we can get answers from her," Dainin snapped, pointing out the obvious. "You don't think I want to find her as desperately as you do? I'm choosing to focus on the pack's needs first," his wolf exclaimed, and Dainin took his seat before his fist flew through the nearest wall. He wasn't trying to be selfish, but he needed to know the relationship between his mate and the Alpha. He wouldn't accept losing her after they just found each other. He just needed to catch her eye. "You definitely caught someone's attention," his wolf stated gravely and Dainin turned to see the Beta staring him down. She wore the same judgmental expression
~Tessa~ Tessa left the conference room fuming. Dainin was already proving to be like all the other weak Alphas and Betas who have tried to tame her over the years. He wanted a submissive Luna. Someone who'd sit around all day quietly raising pups and be ready to please him when ordered, but that would never be her. "You'd think the Moon Goddess would have paired us with someone less shallow," Tessa sighed, stopping to watch the Warriors train outside from the large picture window. Deep down, she felt disappointed. "Well, I don't think a 20-minute meeting is enough time to decide. We can only find out if we give him a chance," her wolf whispered. "Since when have you gone soft? Are you ready to roll over for him already," Tessa snapped. Her wolf whimpered in response to her hostile tone. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault," Tessa apologized with a frustrated sigh. She knew her wolf was only trying to help. Groaning in defeat, Tessa turned away from the window to press her back again